What's not to love about Trader Joe's (TJs)? Well, okay -- parking is usually a challenge at most TJs -- but this location gets bonus points for its hands-free, ticketless parking garage. It's so easy to get in and out, and since I temporarily live a 1/2 block away, it's especially convenient for me. This Santa Monica Trader Joe's is easily one of my favorites. The store is clean, well organized, and easy to navigate, with everything you'd expect -- pantry staples, fresh produce, and their famously affordable (and beautiful) flowers. What makes ALL Trader Joe's locations stand out, though, is their staff. The teams are always friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable, and they make every visit pleasant. The only downsides are: 1. The store is underground, there's basically no mobile service inside -- so definitely screenshot your shopping list before you go in. This makes looking up recipes impossible. They need to get store wifi for customers, like Vons. 2. It's a bit smaller than most other TJ's, but it still covers most of what I need. And if they don't have something, there's a newly opened Vons just two blocks up Broadway. Overall, this is a gem of a store in a fantastic location -- truly one of the best grocery spots in Santa Monica. read more

Came for the first time to do mini grocery shopping. The entrance is pretty cool! You gotta take an elevator to the lower level for Trader Joe's. The store is a pretty decent size. Organic foods and their decent pricing as any Trader Joe's. The service is top tierrrr!! Our cashier was so sweet and fun to talk to while we were getting ringed up. Loved the Trader Joe's and keeping their great reputation everywhere read more

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May 2026 I want to give a SHOUT OUT to an employee there: Keilana. She was working organizing the self care area and she was very helpful! I can tell she cares about people and this is what makes Trader Joe's so enjoyable to shop. She knew the items when I asked questions. Thank you Keilana! read more

I wanted to leave a positive review for the customer service at Trader Joe's. Whenever there are new tote bag releases, I usually call to ask about the release date and time. Every time I've called this location, the employees have been very polite, patient, and helpful with the information. I know it can probably get overwhelming having so many customers call and ask the same questions, especially during popular releases, and I've noticed some other locations can come across as rude or annoyed. That's why I really appreciate how kind and professional this location always is on the phone. Thank you for always being courteous and making customers feel welcomed. It truly makes a difference! read more

What you bought versus what you got. Put the real picture on the packaging. False advertising. People don't buy this crap It's not real crust. Just cheap filo dough. Big disappointment. It's a good day though. Vons at Lincoln and Broadway has opened. Will shop at a real grocery store now. Thank God they brought it back. Won't have to go to this 99cent store of markets. read more

Trader Joe's - What you got versus what you bought. - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Cozy Trader Joe's in Santa Monica. New to the neighborhood but a classic. Close to 3rd Street Promenade and Beach area. Great option nearby. read more

Trader Joe's - Cute Succulents! - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

This is my favorite place to get groceries in Santa Monica. It's simple, smaller, the people are friendly and efficient, and the flowers are beautiful! Also they have cotton candy grapes that are so fresh! read more

Trader Joe's - Beautiful flowers - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I absolutely HATE when stores assume you want a bag, charge you for it, and commence with the bagging even though you said TWICE you don't need a bag. You can see from the receipt that the few items will easily fit into a handbag, but I also had a foldable polyester bag as well. Typically when this happens, the cashier just hands me a dime. Not the first time at this store, obviously. I don't want a dime. It's one more thing to carry and keep track of. Instead I want to be heard. I want the cashier and the store to acknowledge that I don't want a bag, and actually NOT give me the bag. This is 100% a training issue. And no, I was not going to hold up the line to get my dime back. Nor was I going to wait for a manager to show up when I'm in a hurry. This is a town where a minute over your parking meter can be costly. read more

Trader Joe's - Charged for a bag even though I said TWICE I don't want one, and brought my own!!!!!! - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Well it is a traditional TJs in general and has all the usual stuff and for that 4 stars. Would be 5 if the steaks/beef would be any good. So why 3 stars then. Well, they need to open at 8 like the other TJs. Ok. The elevator needs to be cleaned as I am not looking it to smell like the NY City subway stations. The check staff is good but some of the supporting staff needs to learn the laws when it comes to "service dogs," as I have a truly registered amazing pal and the staff harrassed me into saying that my border collie could not be a service dog because he went up to this lawless crew member nicely. What does that have to do with anything and I told her to stop telling me my dog is not a service dog. He is and maybe I should have looked to get them fined. Next time I will. read more

All things considered resources are abundant Nearby locations are not only good but also above the norm. Santa Monica is still above the clouds From the pier to the park the beach is wonderful as well as the rest of Santa Monica and Venice. Variety of lifestyles can be enjoyed read more

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This place has awful customer service. andrea at the service desk hates her job and treats customers poorly. shame on trader joes for hiring people like her . Team def needs training and development. never coming here again. Parking is underground and terrible. read more

I do like Trader Joe's. I just wish location was bigger in size. It's super tight in there and BUSY! Usually great staff and yummy groceries. Good cheese selection, lots of healthy quick meal options and of course they have their own cult favorites and seasonal goodies. And let's not forget the wine deals! All good in this hood. read more

Yay! Another location of the best grocery store in the world! The employees here are super friendly and the store is specious and well organized. You will everything you need! The parking is a bit tricky, there is free parking underground and you have to dial a number to get in. When you enter, press 1. When you leave press 2 and the gate will open. The girl who checked me out at the cash register told me that soon the customers will have to scan a barcode. Because this location is underground, there is no phone service which is a big downside I believe. What if you need to make a phone call or get a text? Just keep it in mind. I'll be back here for sure! I love Trader Joe's! read more

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Favorite TJ's!! Because the employees and parking is the best. Hands-free and ticketless

This store has higher quantity of seasonal items as I was getting those last few gifts. The entire crew is extremely helpful & pleasant. Thank you Trader Joe's for helping making my holiday even better this year! read more

Neighborhood type of Trader Joe's, with friendly and helpful personnel. This small yet basic market is up one level from the street/parking level. Not as plentiful as some other locations, but a nice place to shop. read more

Trader Joe's - a hand holding a sign - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Always obsessed. They always have the cutest and affordable selection of flowers! I'm such a flower gorly. Not to mention the best snacks!

Nice, new and clean Trader Joe's. I saw them during the whole construction process and they really make the effort to keep it well stocked. It's not as big as the other Trader Joe's in Santa Monica but it has mostly the same essentials. Try not to come after work/end of day though because things tend to be out of stock but then will reappear the next morning. Best times to go is definitely the earlier part of the day if you can! read more

only one hour to shop! Then you're charged 5.99 plus a convenience fee. I was in the store for 66 minutes. I should have driven a little further down Wilshire to go to that Trader Joe's. I will not make that mistake again. read more

3 hot tips for this brand new Trader Joe's! 1) Entrance and parking are on 1521 5th Street. 2) This location is on the lower level. Use the elevator or stairs to go down. See photos! 3) Map to 1521 5th Street and look for the big red signs that say 'Trader Joe's Parking'. Parking is free for an hour and is on the same level as the store. If you feel lost, give them a call or ask one of the crew members that is always posted outside of the store read more

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A very small TJ but they have your essentials. You have to go down the escalators to get to the store. Since it is in downtown Santa Monica there are a couple of homeless people that linger around in and around the store. Parking is validated read more

The employees go above and beyond to make their customers happy. Today I lost my parking ticket and my baby was crying(ready for a nap). The manager helped me look for my parking ticket since I couldn't focus with my son crying. Thank you kind sir. I appreciate it more than you know. FYI lost parking ticket is $35! Now about the shopping experience: First of all I LOVE the location, they have plenty of organic options for produce & snacks and the salmon is super fresh & reasonably priced. The cashiers all know how to pack groceries most efficiently, which I appreciate. It's always a positive experience when I walk through the doors. Also, there's a bathroom in the back corner, a necessity at times. Haha. read more

I can be having the worst day, and then I come to this Trader Joe's and it's instantly better! Every single worker I've had at the register has been so sweet and easy to talk to. I always have the best conversations and just feel good after I leave the store. Obviously their food is great too and enhances the experience, but their employees are just the best! So thank you Trader Joe's, for employing the best and most helpful people! It really makes the shopping experience so lovely. read more

I love their organic choices for fruit and veggies. Also the great selection of cheeses and their gluten free "pasta". Excellent costumer service too! A loyal costumer read more

Limited selection 2 phone calls to get in and out of parking garage NO CELL SERVICE (but they claim to have repeaters installed in the coming weeks) just go to the TJ's on Wilshre or any of the many grocery stores all over Sammo 2300 Wilshire Blvd #101, Santa Monica, CA 90403 read more

I am beyond happy over the new location. This store perfectly adheres to the brand. Also, critical to the neighborhood. Moreover, I love that they keep their prices competitive. Whole Foods has raised their prices so high that it's nauseating. Trader Joe's: zero nausea; always a pleasant experience shopping here. Finally, the staff are lovely. PS., The produce is the one thing that could a bit of improvement. read more

Really cool location and this was my first time coming here! Its pretty small compared to the other TJ's I have been to, but I really adore their flower selection. I stocked up on my groceries for the week and everything was very heavy so if I run out, I can always come back! I'm used to going to the MDR location, but this is also cool. I was tempted to buy more snacks but just opted for one bag so I don't eat the whole thing all at once read more

The main reason I love this place at the moment is that it's so new that the store is usually not busy since not very many ppl know it's open or there. I can go in and out in a breeze w/ shopping list. If you've been to other TJ's in other downtown areas, the size is about the same (on the smaller side). Other reasons I like it this location is that it serves DTSM and is walking distance. It's hard to find if you're driving since the TJ sign is not easily visible driving along a one-way street. I think TJ missed an opportunity to locate on the corner of the building for more traffic n visibility. Despite that, it's only a matter of time before the rest of the town knows of this location. read more

This is a great new location. We've been wanting a Trader Joe's in DTSM for a while and I'm happy to have such a large TJs now in walking distance. It's in a basement so it's a little hard to find at first but I love the spacious atmosphere of the actual store itself. Everyone in this Tjs has been great. Theres a woman here who's name I can't recall but it starts with an A and she wore a Hawaiian shirt who helped me with an exchange and I felt that it was easy and stress free for me because of her. I wish they had more flowers but they're in a basement so I can understand why the plant section might be limited. However the canned isle the snack isle and the cheese+deli section have a lot of variety much to my delight!! Employees always seem excited to help patrons and are very nice. Overall I'm so delighted with this TJs. read more

Loved this location from day one. Easy state of the art underground parking, clean, homeless not allowed to congregate or live on the private property. When the residents of SM heard that Trader's was coming to this address, all we could imagine is the vagrants & criminals will be hanging out & waiting for us at the entrance on Broadway, This location turned out to be the first Subterranean built location. Excellent idea for this high crime area. They have more control over the crazies entering the store. Safety is of the upmost importance to us & the employees, & I think they've achieved this. This is an excellent idea for future urban locations. As always best customer service. I go out of my way from East Montana Ave. to shop here. I try to avoid the Wilshire Bl. store. read more

I only give the low rating due to the parking situation. Otherwise it is a clean store with friendly employees. The store was quite empty of shoppers and easy to get around. Perhaps because it was challenging to find and I wouldn't have known it was there except for a newspaper article. It is not visible from the street, just a small sign pointing where to go. Parking is the downside. Have to sit there and dial to get in and then hope that pressing 1 lets you in. Took several tries. what if I left my phone at home (which I do sometimes). I would be stuck down there with no ability to back up. The attendant was not able to help out. I will go to another TJ where I don't have to go through this. I sincerely hope that this is not the parking method of the future. read more

Great Trader Joe's! Nice wide aisles and well-organized. BUT they need to do something about the needlessly complicated parking situation which requires you to call a number on your cell phone to get in and out. They seriously need to ditch that! read more

Most of the employees here are nice, and a few go above and beyond. One, in particular, was really kind and helpful before the major storm was about to start so I could get home. The store is also clean. read more

I luv the new space finally in SM Alan helped me carry my basket when I needed to graduate to a cart with all the goodies I kept finding. Customer Service super friendly and helpful including Alex & Brian @ checkout! read more

Great little Trader Joe's. Definitely a smaller one on the west side, however everything is always stocked well. The cashier are super friendly. Flower selection is good! read more

Love that they opened a Downtown location! This is better suited for those that live walking distance as the store is much smaller (same parallels of City Target vs the regular one), the parking lot isn't easy to find, selection is more limited so more of grab and go concept. Word hasn't got out (yet) for this location so it's great if you want more of a stress free way of shopping quickly. read more

I've been a long time shopper at Tj's. It's my go to place where I can find great items at good prices, along with excellent service. Whether by bike or car, I'll travel extra miles to shop at a Trader Joe's. This 5th St store location is underground, so make sure and look for the sandwich board signs that guides shoppers, to the underground one hour free parking area. FYI This is adjacent to the 3rd St mall that attracts a lot of traffic especially on weekends. There are other TJ's that are not far away that don't have the same traffic concerns. read more

Finally a Trader Joe's 2 blocks from the Santa Monica Promenade, Hallelujah!!! The lobby entrance is actually on 5th St between Broadway & Colorado, with an elevator or stairs that take you down to a beautiful, underground store. With tons more space than Wilshire or Pico I have it all to myself in the mornings! There's bike parking all around, a validated parking garage and an amazing staff. There's really nothing like TJ's in the immediate area, what a hidden gem! read more

Mostly ok. No windows, no fresh air and employees are hit or miss. Limited products. This is second time I have come in to shop and felt so unwelcome and not wanted. Cashier threw my products in the bag and several guests ran me over, in a hurry for their items. I don't feel welcome here. read more

Cute little Trader Joe's in the basement of this new large cool building. Once going downstairs you find a big entrance to secret underground Trader Joe's. All the same usual products. They had like a million staff there, super friendly. read more